Satellites

Satellite technology has advanced dramatically since the launching of the first artificial satellite, Sputnik, in 1957. There are hundreds of satellites orbiting Earth right now, launched and funded by many different nations (the US included). They are used for things like GPS or cellular communication, but also for measuring different aspects of our planet. Satellites’ ability to see into different sections of the light spectrum enable them to collect data better and more efficiently than ever before. Although we may not think about them in our everyday lives, the data that satellites provide us with it vital in understanding Earth and monitoring its change.

The Clouds and Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) is a series of instruments on several satellites. These instruments measure in lightwaves ranging from infrared to ultraviolet. They measure radiation reflected from the Sun and emitted by the Earth. When added together with information from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and the Visible and Infrared Sounder (VIRS), CERES also gives scientists data about the properties of clouds. CERES’ ability to see in infrared allows us to see the Earth in terms of heat more precisely than ever before. Because CERES instruments are accurate to a fraction of a degree, scientists are able to better understand how clouds and the energy cycle affect global climate change.

The Aqua satellite orbits the poles of our planet, analyzing the hydrologic cycle of our planet in infrared. In the words of Jeff Halverson, a meteorologist at the University of Maryland’s Baltimore Campus, “[Aqua satellite]’s primary function is to study the hydrologic cycle on Earth: vapor in the atmosphere, liquid ocean, the temperature of th...

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...sends the microwave energy itself and records the reflection. Because it produces its own microwaves, SAR allows RADARSAT to image the Earth at any time, day or night, no matter what may be in the way (like clouds, snow, rain, or dust). The images RADARSAT produces are useful for people in fields ranging from agriculture to geology, cartography to arctic surveillance.

With the help of satellites, we are able to keep a much more watchful eye on the planet we call home. We can analyze rainfall patterns, map the ocean floor, or watch the Earth’s crust move, among many other things. Satellites show us that technology has opened so many new doors, and given so much new, accurate data to fields that need constant, updated information. Through the power of the electromagnetic spectrum and these eyes in space, we are able to take science to places it has never been before.